Women in the Fab Lab ecosystem (2008-2021). From Fab Academy to the Fab Lab Research Conferences

Fab Lab ecosystem are conducive to the integration of women with an interest in STEM areas, enhancing opportunities in different areas of engineering and related disciplines. This integration is not only from practical research, but also in scientific production. To identify the presence of women in the Fab Lab ecosystem, a quantitative analysis was carried out, identifying two contexts: Fab Academy between 2008 and 2021, and Fab Lab Research Papers between 2012 and 2019. The results reveal aspects that benefit the presence of women, supported by the Fab Labs project-based learning model, which does not distinguish between genders and promotes collaboration, experimentation and knowledge exchange, among others. Similarly, new ways to become aware of technology are identified, which prioritizes interdisciplinary, through regional and global activities. Based on this analysis, the Fab Labs ecosystem is expected to further promote the presence of women as key actors, promoting their vision, analysis and dedication; and promoting their participation in instances of "doing" from practical experimentation and writing what is "done" from written production.